Mumbai City FC and Odisha FC battled to a 1-1 draw on Sunday after a thrilling 99 minutes at the Mumbai Football Arena. (Match Highlights | Full Coverage)
Roy Krishna opened the scoring for the Kalinga Warriors in the 15th minute, but just seven minutes later, Nikolaos Karelis equalized for the Islanders. Despite several attempts, neither team managed to change the score thereafter.
In the 80th minute, Ahmed Jahouh of Odisha FC received a red card for a bad foul, leaving the Juggernauts with only 10 men.
The game was a thrilling package of action, drama, and tactical play! It kicked off with two goals in the first half, but the middle period was defined by exceptional saves that stole the spotlight more than the attacks.
Ball possession was fairly close, with Mumbai City FC holding 54.4% compared to Odisha FC's 45.5%. The hosts registered 15 shots, with 4 on target, while the Warriors managed 7 attempts, of which 2 were on target.
Sergio Lobera was the happier of the two coaches at the onset of the game, with his frontline pressing forward and inflicting pressure on the Mumbai City FC defence.
The Fijian forward Roy Krishna led his team well finally scoring in the 14th minute. As the Islanders tried to build up their play, Valpuia passed the ball to the goalkeeper Phurba Lachenpa.
Lachenpa managed to bring the ball down but lost control. Krishna saw the moment, he ran forward, got the ball back, and found the back of the net to put the Juggernauts in the lead.
The Mandali were waiting for a fightack and the hosts did not disappoint! They quickly bounced back with Lallianzuala Chhangte taking the charge and passing to the striker or midfielders.
The partnership of the defending champions was exceptional, culminating in the equalizer in the 23rd minute when Karelis scored with a right-footed shot from close range to the center of the goal, assisted by Chhangte.
Next up in their fixtures, Mumbai City FC will host Kerala Blasters on November 3, while Odisha FC is set to face East Bengal.
